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Mohawk Artist Honored for His Work Hogansburg, New York - November 27, 2008 A retired Mohawk iron worker living on the St. Regis Reservation has been making traditional Native American costumes since he was a boy. Bill Loran was recently honored by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York for his contribution to the local culture of the region. Loran said that making authentic Native American costumes is like creating works of art for him and helps to preserve a colorful but fading culture. He has always been interested in making Indian dress items. Loran makes all styles but pays particular attention to the Iroquois tribes that lived in much of New York State. The former iron worker is now retired and has more time for his lifelong hobby.
"If I see something I haven't done I have to learn it so that doesn't get lost. Some of the things I do I learned from taking classes. There are people here that teach," Loran said. The style of the items he makes dates back to the same ones worn by Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving dinner at Plymouth Colony. He makes his clothing from deerskins and bird feathers, some of it road kill on highways through the Reservation. Some of Loran's work can be seen at powwows around the country. While Native American culture is seeing a revival today, that was not always the case. "When I was young it was discouraged. Even the language we speak was discouraged. They said that's a dead language. You'll never use it... learn English," Loran recalled. Loran said that many Native Americans living in cities are losing their cultural identity. Wherever he and his wife go today they talk to young Native Americans about being proud of their heritage. After spending decades making Indian crafts, Loran said that his biggest project now is to pass his knowledge on to young people so that they can better understand their culture.
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- WCAX News http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=9424433&nav=menu183_2
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